2024 Morris County Trail Construction Grants Available

Commissioner Deborah Smith, a resident of Denville Township, takes a walk on Den Brook Trail that opened in 2022 after receiving trail grants in 2019 and 2021.

Application Workshop to be Held on May 14th

Nearly $2 million in grants for recreational trails are available to Morris County’s 39 municipalities through the 2024 Morris County Trail Construction Grant Program, which opened its ninth annual application process today.

“Since the voters overwhelming supported the dedication of a portion of open space dollars to trail construction in 2014, more than $5.2 million has been granted to design, build and enhance a growing network of local trails on preserved land. Our trails have become an essential refuge for so many people. Morris County is routinely ranked as one of the healthiest counties in the nation with some of the cleanest air in the U.S. There are certainly plenty of reasons to get out and enjoy some fresh air with more than 26 miles of trails to walk, hike and bike throughout the county,” said Morris County Commissioner Deputy Director Stephen Shaw.

Visit the Trail Construction Grant Application Page

An Application Workshop will be held on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon to review the overall program and application process.

The workshop will be held in person at the Morris County Park Commission Cultural Center at 300 Mendham Road in Morristown and virtually via Webex. Please register to attend by submitting a Registration Form to: MCTrailGrantProgram@Morrisparks.net

There have been several rule changes for 2024 that will be covered in the upcoming workshop. A complete set of the Program Rules can be found at Rules & Regulations – Morris County, NJ (morriscountynj.gov)

The two-step submission process remains the same. Please be sure to read all submission requirements carefully.

• Step 1 - Letters of Intent are due by Friday, June 28, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.
• Step 2 - Full Applications are due by Wednesday, July 31, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.

Projects that received trail grant funding for Design & Permitting Phase must have reviews and final approvals of bid documents completed as follows to be eligible for a construction grant:

• By May 31, 2024 – 60% documents must be delivered to Program Staff for review and comment.
• By June 28, 2024 – Final approvals have been received and 100% documents delivered to Program Staff.

All forms for the Morris County Trail Construction Grant Program are available here.

Applicants are also reminded of some of the noteworthy aspects of the program including:

• Funding available for Design & Permitting Phase.
• Funding available for two Construction Categories – Minor or Major.
• Pre-application meetings required for ALL submissions.
• Grantees have 2 years to complete projects.

Jefferson Township, Liffy Island Trail, funded 2017.

“The Trail Construction Grant Program offers municipalities design and construction grants to expand their trail systems. Most municipalities initially apply for a design grant to develop plans and to identify issues and costs involved in developing a trail. Once designs are completed, municipalities apply for a construction grant. The program’s success is evident with 77 percent of the municipalities having participated in the program,” said Betty Cass-Schmidt, Chair of the Trail Construction Grant Advisory Committee.

Grant awards are expected to be announced before the end of the year.

Application materials and other resources are available on the program website, including a program Fact Sheet, which provides a brief summary.